Ceara Sturgis Fighting For Her Consitutional Rights In Mississippi School
October 16th, 2009 - 6:06 pm ICT by GD ( 6 comments )By Gina Gomez
Jackson, Miss., Oct. 16, (THAINDIAN NEWS) 17 year old Ceara Sturgis has shown immense courage in her fight against individual expression of freedom, when she took up to challenge the authorities in her high school recently. It has always been known in the school that Ceara is a lesbian solely for the fact that she never ever did try to hide the truth about her personal identity. An honor student in school, she is also a part of her school soccer team, besides being a talented trumpet player. All these aspects however went unnoticed by the school.
Her lesbian status almost looked like a generally well accepted fact around school, until the day of the year-book photographs came up. As Ceara feels more comfortable donning the clothes worn by men, she had requested her school to allow her to wear a tuxedo for the photo session. It was then that the scene turned a little ugly.
According to the school tradition, it is necessary for the girls to wear elaborate dresses or gowns. The boys are supposed to wear the tuxedos. When Ceara put up her request, the school authorities almost hightailed at the notion and played down her wish.
Instead of giving up in meek surrender, Ceara has chosen to fight back against this sort of injustice that has been meted out her way; and guiding her all along is her mother, Veronica Rodriguez. According to Veronica, it seems unjust to not take in to consideration someone’s constitutional rights. Says she, “The tux is who she is. She wears boy’s clothes. She’s athletic. She’s gay. She’s not feminine.”
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Tags: consitutional rights, constitutional rights, day of the year, gina gomez, gowns, immense courage, individual expression, injustice, mississippi school, personal identity, photo session, school authorities, school soccer team, school tradition, trumpet player, tux, tuxedo, tuxedos, veronica rodriguez, year book
October 16th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Good for you brave teen! I had a similar conflict in my high school yearbook and it was not nearly so public but also didn’t have as positive a future as yours hopefully will. I graduated in 1984 and refused to wear that fluffy thing they made all the girls wear for the senior photos. I skipped the photo and was almost not included in the yearbook at all. At the last minute they added me in- out of order- as the last photo- wearing my cap and gown.
October 16th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
That’s ridiculous…they can’t tell people what to wear. Fight the power, Ceara!
October 17th, 2009 at 1:23 am
Ceara Sturgis, good luck with the board, looks like a great picture, I can see nothing wrong with it. There is no reason to ban you wearing a tux unless the board is going to ban the wearing of a tux for everyone. The only exception would be if the clothing did not properly fit, but that would apply to shirts and jeans too.
October 17th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Are you serious? They absolutely do NOT require them to wear elaborate gowns, it has women wearing a wrap, supplied BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER, (like it is for 99% of HS graduate photos) just in every other HS graduation picture. Nothing she is doing is “going unnoticed” by anyone either- no one denies she is these good things. There is a reason some fight for tradition, and as wrong as that may or may not be, you don’t help your cause in the SLIGHTEST by an grossly inaccurate reportation of the facts.
October 20th, 2009 at 5:12 am
I havnt known you long ceara but if i know anything about you, its that you are strong willed. keep fightin baby. you konw i love you girl.
October 20th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Good look Sturgis! Open a process against your school, they can’t do this.